“When a disagreement starting going…”

While I was still working a 9-5 job I began buying fixer-upper houses and converted them into rental properties.

When I finally quit my regular job last year to carve out my own niche, I also starting up a second business writing “how-to” books.

Between those two businesses, I am happily self-employed, doing what I like to do. And, I now no longer have the stress associated with an 9-5 job.

As Emerson said, “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no pah and leave a trail.”

If you hear your own voice once, during a meeting, you are much likely to speak up again. Even something as simple as introducing yourself can have an effect on your contribution to a meeting. This is especially important in meetings with people you don’t know, or don’t know very well.

Toward that end, a bad job/boss is actually GOOD for you, because you can use your negative emotions to propel you toward something better. Keep thinking about your crazy boss and lousy job each day, and you can motivate yourself to take actions every day that move you to a better situation.

I made the transition from frustrated employee–with a micromanaging boss–to empowered business owner. I started a consulting business part-time, and built it into a full-time endeavor which is the sole income for my family of 4. I’ve QUADRUPLED what I used to make at my day job, and have much more flexibility. Being self-employed, I actually have a lot LESS stress than I did with my former day job (and bad boss).

Whether you decide to start your own consulting business as I and lots of others have done, you can use a bad job to propel you toward a better place.

You can check out an interview I recently did where I talk about how I made the switch from employee to consultant, and where I talk about some of my initial fears & doubts, and give actual income and rate numbers:
http://www.startmyconsultingbusiness.com/how-i-made-the-switch-from-employee-to-consultant.

Greg Miliates
http://www.StartMyConsultingBusiness.com

I also made friends with people in different departments who were motivated, young, and saw the value of eating lunch brought from home. It was much more interesting to discuss work with someone whose job I didn’t have insight into on a daily basis.

My question and I think it ties into this website directly, are there are 8 people in my department and everyday some people will go to lunch. It’s not everyone or the same people, every day, but there is always some group going. I try going to lunch once every couple weeks because I feel obligated and don’t like being left out, but I find it hard going as often as the rest because for one, I live 5 minutes from my office and it’s much cheaper eating at home and second, the conversations usually revolve around how much everyone hates their jobs or what they’re working on and I would just rather not be apart of that.

How do people handle those conversations and also, handle eating out for lunch when it’s often more expensive and usually more unhealthy for you?

Far better, I have found, is to first get the emotion out (journaling, trusted non-work friend, therapy, screaming in rage in the privacy of your home, etc). Then, rationally and calmly work your way up the ladder with your rational and calm concerns.

By the end of the year, I was invited to lunch, offered teaching materials and treated as a colleague. By making it about winning them over instead of resenting them, I made the entire situation much more positive.

In regards to the comment above, I tell my co-workers I never go on FB anyway so not to bother adding me. It’s just not a good policy, I don’t want to take the chance of my of my goofball friends posting something that could really hurt my personal “office politics” campaign as I try to build a reputation and climb the ladder.

I was wondering though, does anyone else have social media issues? Some of my coworkers are also friends, but I’ve ended up excluding them from my Facebook and Twitter accounts because I was learning things I didn’t want to know. Work-related things, not to mention seeing how much time they were spending watching videos, tweeting, etc. while I’m working my butt off! Or how they were partying the night before then I’m covering their work the next day while they are “sick”. I wouldn’t rat them out, but I could feel my resentment brewing. Now I worry they’ll think I’m being anti-social. Crazy, isn’t it?

I know people should be smarter about what they say on social media, but they aren’t! I don’t think you just have to watch what you say in confidence — I think you need to be careful what you announce to the whole world too.